Boney

by Cary Fagan

Annabelle discovers an animal bone in the woods and decides to make it her new plaything. But nature ends up moving Annabelle in mysterious ways.


At first, Boney, as Annabelle names him, makes the perfect companion. While Mom is busy with the baby, Boney and Annabelle share a meal, play at the park, and share a bedtime story before Annabelle tucks Boney into his shoebox-bed for the night.


But when creatures run wild through her dreams, Annabelle considers for the first time where Boney really belongs.


This thought-provoking story by award-winning picture-book creators Cary Fagan and Dasha Tolstikova encourages a deeper sense of wonder about the natural world and celebrates the wilderness that lives within us all.







Key Text Features


illustrations







Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language


CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.3

With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

40 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 4, 2022

About the author

Cary Fagan has written numerous books for children, including What Are You Doing, Benny?, Little Blue Chair and Mr. Zinger's Hat, which was awarded the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and the IODE Jean Throop Award. He has also won the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People for his body of work. Cary was born and raised in Toronto, where he continues to live with his family.

Reviews

[Dawn Foster · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was one of the strangest/oddest stories (IMO) with ugly illustrations. Also, as an adult reading I wasn't sure at first if Scoot was the baby brother or family dog. Not sure who gave the green light on this book but it's a dud.

[Barbra · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strange and unique story about a young girl named Annabelle who discovers an animal bone in the woods. Intrigued she takes it home, cleans it up and turns it into a playmate. When her dog begins to dig a hole she realizes where the bone really belongs. This book reminds me of my childhood when I would find all kinds of strange things and decide to name them and play with them. A quirky story indeed.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is super weird, but kids are super weird, so I guess it works. My sister carried around a lime wedge for two days one and called it her pickle, and a friend of mine had a mashed potato woman living in her garage fridge. Kids are weird, this book is weird, the right kid will find this delightful.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this peculiar, surprising, pensive one.

[Elisabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

[Kristin · Rating 1 out of 5]

What was this about?

[Sarah]

So... Did that kid just help cover up a murder?

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. It was okay.

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really strange little story that taps into how weird little kids can be. But also a story about death and respect? It's good but quite weird.

[Lannie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this short read. It’s something that comes up often with my kids who love nature and constantly want to bring artifacts home. A gentle message about honoring what was.

[Rebecca Caufman]

Oh my...a girl finds a bone, loves it and plays with it, gets haunted by it in her dreams, then decides to bury it the next day.

[kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

didn't love the illustrations and wasn't satisfied by the ending

[Lauren Millard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kids are odd and so was this book. Lol

[Justice · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was totally written for me.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

One day a little girl finds a bone of an animal when out for a walk in the woods with her dad. She takes it home and treats it with care, pampering it, but eventually starts having second thoughts about keeping it.